Strange Encounters
by M J Azilem
Summary: COMPLETE Spike gets hurt in a fight. His past and his present put the gang in the middle of a strange mystery that only Spike can shead any light on. (please read and review!)


Strange Encounters

Spike was staggering home after a losing night of kitten poker.  He was drunk but not enough to drown out his thoughts of Buffy.   He was angry about losing; he had had a bad night he was ready to just go back to his crypt and crash.  Making his way through the back alleys of Sunnydale, he came across three big uglys trying to make off with some little girl.  This was just what he needed something to take his aggravation out on.   He swaggered up to the biggest ugliest demon the one who held the girl wide eyed and struggling.  He hit the demon around the mid section.  It dropped the girl and the fight was on.  Spike had really gotten him self into some thing this time picking a fight with three big demons was not the smartest thing he'd done recently but he always did like those fight he didn't know he was going to win.   

Buffy was out on patrol when she saw Spike down a dark alley being gang banged by three big demons she didn't recognize.  She ran down the alley as the biggest baddy picked up Spike and tossed him aside like a rag doll.  She started pounding on the leader as one of them continued on Spike and one went after a girl.  The big one decided he'd had enough with Buffy and retreated back down the alley grunting something to the others.  The Slayer throw the monster that was chasing the girl back and he took off, them she turn to the one still pounding on Spike swinging him around and giving him a swift kick to the head.  He didn't even give her another look before he ran too.  

"Who were those guys?" 

 She looked around for the girl they had been after. Gone. 

 She turn back to Spike

"do you know what kind of" 

she started to ask him if he knew what kind of demons they where but stop when she noticed he wasn't getting up and dusting himself off.  "You ok?"  She answered her own question when she saw the sharp metal pole sticking through his side. 

 "Little help here slayer"

 he looked at her frustration in his eyes.  Why was it he seemed to get the shit kicked out of him at least once a week?  He was certainly no stranger to pain.  He knew this wasn't going to kill him but it hurt like hell.  Buffy put his arm around her shoulder and pulled him off the pole.  He groaned and went limp.  Pain wracked his body; he was bleeding badly and in some strange way he was very happy that some how in the fight his duster had been pulled off. He loved that duster.

  "Come on lets get you back to my place."

 Buffy practically carried him all the way back to her house.  He couldn't put any weight on his right side where the pole had run him through.  He got weaker as they walked on, he was loosing a lot of blood and it was at least a good twenty minuet walk to her house.  

She took him in the back door into the kitchen.  Willow came in to get another soda; she, Tara, and Dawn had been playing a board game. 

 "Hey Buffy how was patro… what happened?" 

Tara and Dawn came in.

 "little run in" 

Spike leaning on Buffy for support smirked at Willow.  His head was starting to swim; he slumped into a chair his whole body ached. He leaned on the table heavily.  "More like run through." 

Buffy helped him get his shirt off, he winced and bit his lip finding that his lip was split and swollen he gritted his teeth.  

 "Ow that looks really bad, I'll go get the medical kit."  

Willow went back through the living room.   Buffy got a couple cloths "this is going to hurt; I've got to stop the bleeding." He cringed as she pressed both sides of his wound.  He protested "no pulse"

 "well that's not keeping you from leaking." 

 He griped the edge of the table.  Willow came back with the Slayer's extensive medical kit.  Dawn got a warm wash cloth and started cleaning the blood off of his face.  Tara got some ice for his bruises.  Buffy took the rubbing alcohol and started to clean his stab wound.  He whimpered eyes shut tight; his arms fell limply to his sides.  He no longer had the strength to squeeze the table.  

"What did that Buffy?"

Dawn looked at the angry wound on his side it was red and around it started to turn a deep purple.  

 "Some big nasty got tired of beating him and decided to pin him down for later; on a jagged metal pole." 

 "The angle, it looks like it went through his hip." 

Willow looked at the entry wound at his lower back. Buffy taped down the gauzes and started to wrap him up.  Dawn took out some medical sticky things and taped up the cut above his left eye.  Spike had quit trying to focus, his ears where ringing and his head felt heavy.  

"I think we should put him on the couch"

 Buffy nodded toward the living room.  Tara and Dawn went to clean up their game and the popcorn they had out.  

"I'll go get some blankets and things." 

 Willow ran up stairs.  Buffy looked down at Spike; shirtless.  His eyes were glazed and his head hung.  She'd have to wait till tomorrow to ask him why he picked a fight with three Demons nearly three times his size.

  "Ok everything's all cleaned up."

 Willow and the other girls came back to the kitchen.  

"Willow would you get his other arm." 

Buffy and Willow Draped the vamp over their shoulders Spike Flinched at being moved but let them.  Willow was surprised at how little Spike weighed, she always thought he was thin but now she wondered where all his strength came from. 

 They set him gently on the couch.  Buffy took off his boots and he lay back slowly.  She covered him up and Tara pulled all the curtains.  He was a sleep.  The others went back into the kitchen.  Buffy looked at him.  Crazy vampire she thought.   She couldn't help but feel for him of course it wasn't love.  She was such a sucker for Florence Nightingale syndrome; she always got this feeling in her gut when Spike was hurt, or Riley, or Angle, hell she felt for Xander when he was hurt.  She assured herself it wasn't Spike making her feel this way.  

Back in the kitchen Tara and Willow where cleaning up, Dawn sat at the table.  Buffy looked at the other girls suspiciously.

  "What are you guys doing up so late?"  They looked at her, they'd been caught.  "You know how it gets once you start play monopoly you just can't stop till it's over."  Tara admitted.  They shooed Dawn up to bed it was nearly five thirty in the morning.  "So what happened?"  The three remaining girls sat around the table. 

 "I don't know there were three big demons I don't know what they were, they where kind of green and scaly, big like eight feet tall and thick.  They wore gladiator type armor.  I don't know why Spike was fighting with them.  They were interested in this girl, but they ran off leaving her in the alley and then when I was fighting the third one off Spike she took off.  I think I'll go back to the alley and look around for her when it's light out."  She stood up "I think I'll go get some sleep, it's been a long night."  

Buffy went back through the living room she look at him asleep on the couch he looked uncomfortable, and tried to move but she saw the pain look on his face and watched him fall still.  She headed up the Stairs.   

The sun came in through the windows of Buffy's room when she finally woke up it was nearly noon.  She shower and dressed and headed down stairs.  It was oddly dark on the stairs then she saw Spike and remembered that they'd closed the curtains so Spike could sleep on the couch.   

She went into the kitchen for something to eat.   Xander was arguing with Willow, apparently she had told him he needed to be quiet because Spike was asleep in the next room.  He hadn't taken kindly to that, but he had lowered his voice.

  "Morning all." Buffy reached for a cup and a bowl and sat down at the table with Dawn, who was eating cereal. "Hey Buffy glad you're up I called Xander and we're going to go over to the magic box to look up your Demons."  Buffy nodded her head her mouth was full.  

She swallowed "I need to go do some investigating myself."  She looked over at Dawn.  "That's cool Dawn and I can hang here and watch Spike." Tara came in the Kitchen.  "Ok every thing's a go," she looked at Xander.  "I'll ride into town with you and Willow.  Let me just get my coat."

Buffy walked down the alley she had found Spike earlier that morning.  There was the pole he'd been impaled on, red with his blood.  She look across the alley looking for a clue to who the demons where or what they wanted.  She saw something behind a dumpster she picked it up.  It was Spikes duster. She realized looking back that he wasn't wearing it when she found him; she wondered how he was separated from it. 

  She walked down the alley a little ways.  She found a book bag lying on the ground.  She picked it up and a few of the things that had fallen out of it and put them back in.  It could be the girls she would want to return it so she took it with her.  She looked up and down the alley once more and looked around the surrounding alleys then decided to head back to the magic shop.  

Buffy came in the front door and was immediately greeted by Willow "I think we found them!"  She was very excited and Buffy forgot all about the stuff she was carrying discarding it on a chair.  She followed Willow to a book on the research table Xander flipped the pages back to the picture of the monster. 

 "Is that them?" Willow asked.  Buffy examined the picture. "Yep that's them so tell me who are they?"  She sat on the table in front of Willow.  "Well you were right about the gladiator armor thing.  Actually most of the records we fond about them came from Rome, specifically ancient Rome. They're called lonoses.   Which I don't think is a Latin name.  From what I gather they can be dangerous when they want something.  But they rarely leave their homes in the mountains unless some one has them under their power.  So it's crazy that they would be in Sunnydale making off with some girl unless."  Buffy perked up "someone wants them to get that girl."  Willow nodded and Anya came out of the basement. "Oh hello Buffy how did your searching go?"  Buffy jumped down from the table and went over to the stuff she had found.  "Well I found Spike duster, and this bag."

It was early for Spike to be up but hunger, a hang over, and throbbing pain in his side made it hard for him to sleep any longer.  He groaned and tried to sit up, he didn't make it.  Dawn heard him and she and Tara came into the living room from the dining room.  

"How you feeling?" Dawn asked. Spike Just groaned in reply.  "I bet your hungry I'll go get you some blood." Tara went in the kitchen.  Dawn helped Spike prop himself up "what time is it?" he choked out; Dawn looked at her watch "about three thirty. I didn't think you'd be up for another couple of hours." 

Tara returned with a mug of warm pig's blood which she handed to Spike.  He sipped it; he was starving but with the hang over he knew if he gulped it he would probably be sick.  The girls just stood looking at him, he finished and Tara took the mug.  "Thanks" he closed his eyes. "Is there anything else we can get you, ice or aspirin?" Tara asked he shook his head so she went to put the mug back in the kitchen.  

"Does it really hurt? How long do you think it will take you to heel?" Dawn was being very nosey and it hurt his head. "Maybe we should get a wheelchair so…"Spike sat up with a start "No" he winced and lowered himself back down.  Tara came out of the kitchen "no what?"  

"No wheelchair." Spike growled. He closed his eyes again.  "I was only suggesting, what if we needed…" Spike's eyes stayed Closed "No bit, I've been there and done that. And I'm not going to do it again."  Dawn look at him quizzically "what do you mean? When were you ever in a wheelchair?" 

 He opened one eye and looked at her and then the other "after your sister drop an organ on me," he saw her confused look "not an organ organ, like a piano organ and not a little one either, a big cathedral sized one.  Broke nearly every bloody bone in my body including my spine I was in that bloody chair for months couldn't hunt, couldn't feed."  He was starting to get tired again and they could see it.  "Sorry…" Dawn started "come on Dawnie I think Spike needs to sleep."  They left the room quietly, he was very much asleep.

Buffy and the others sat at the table looking at the bag.  "Well we have to look in it, so we can find a name so we can give it back." Buffy tried to justify what she wanted to do.  "Yeah I know but it still seems wrong." Willow shook her head she didn't like this.  "I think we just have to do this, that girl could be in danger or something we need to know more."  Buffy finally just stood up picked up the bag that was sitting in the middle of the table and looked inside. 

 "It looks like she might have been going to a sleep over or something there are some clothes."  Buffy moved the clothes not thinking they'd get any info from them.  "Aw here" Buffy pulled out some books, there were two.  They were old looking and didn't have titles on them.  "Oh no they could be dairies I don't like this." Willow was obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation.  Buffy really didn't think they had anytime to be uncomfortable with this; they had a job to do.  

She opened the book on top; the first page read "to Alice from William, 1875" the hand writing was beautiful "wow, ok I think this is a little old for the girl were after."  Buffy flipped through the pages of the book.  It was a sketch book.  "Wow cool drawings." Willow forgot her fears "Oh let me see" Buffy handed the book to Willow and opened the newer looking one.  Willow looked at the book she was holding "these are all of the same people, I wonder who they were, they look so young, like Dawn's age."  Willow kept flipping through the pages "it's like watching them grow up, and the artist gets really good."  Buffy looked down at the book in her hands it was a sketch book too.  She looked through the pictures they were mostly of a man.  Buffy looked at the front of the book again and at the inside cover "there's no name or date on this one" then turning back to the pictures she realized there were dates on the pictures and signatures.  Buffy turned to the back of the book the pages were blank so she flipped back wards till she came to a picture.  What she saw made her jaw drop and she sank down into her chair.  "What is it?"  Xander asked Buffy lowered the book so the rest of them could see. 

 What they saw brought confused looks to their faces.  Willow picked up the book and flipped back through the pages taking in the faces, the dates, and the signature.  "My god what is…I don't understand."  Willow put the book back down and picked up the other book.  The picture that stared up at Buffy she was positive it had to be.  It was Spike looking very James Dean in white t-shirt and rolled up jeans the date on the picture read 1956. 

"Ok we need to start from the beginning."  Willow picked up the first book.  "Well the inscription says William that could defiantly be Spike."  She turned the page the others crowded around Willow so they could see too.

  "The pictures in this book aren't like the ones in that book; these are of two kids."  The wheels in Anya's head started to turn.  "When are the pictures dated?" she looked over Willow's shoulder.  "Well 1875 so?" Anya looked at them like they were stupid like she did so often having to spell things out.   "When was Spike turned?"  Buffy raised her hand "I know I know 1880" she looked around at the others "some times I pay attention to Giles."  

"Ok so how old was he?" Willow looked up from the book "wait, Buffy I thought Spike was like two hundred; 1880 that would make him like 122 are you sure that you don't mean 1780?" Willow and Xander looked at her. "No I'm defiantly sure it was 1880 and you are so right that would only make him 120 something.  I am so going to call him on that; he's just a teen vamp."  Buffy had really never done the math she had thought he was old he was a master vampire after all, wow now she was really impressed.  "That's nice but how old was he when he was turned?"  Anya was trying to make a point.  "I don't know he doesn't talk much about his life, when he does he makes it sound like he was some kind of criminal, bad and with the many girls.  I always thought I guess if I had to guess I would say late twenties."  Willow piped up "no, Buffy I read some of the watcher journals there's one that talks about William the bloody being turned it said he was only twenty."  Buffy's expression became very serious "that would have made him younger then us." That was a strange thought.  Anya was now taping her foot "Ok so if he was twenty in 1880 he would have be fifteen in 1875 it's simple math here people so the boy in those picture could defiantly been him." 

 They all turned back to the book, Willow turned the pages.  They all were thinking the same thing.  This couldn't be a young Spike the boy in the pictures was well dressed, was pictured reading, praying, writing.  In some of the pictures the boy and a girl sat together.  As they flipped through the pages the boy and the girl got older.  The girl's hair got longer and the boy got taller and started wearing a pair of glasses.  As the boy got older and leaner they started to notice the similarities to Spike, in the cheek bones at least.  Some of the pictures started to have short poems written on them.  The last picture in the book was the young man with curly hair and glasses sitting next to a bed side looking sad.  It was dated December 1879. 

 "Was anyone else frightened by that?" Xander couldn't believe his eyes he couldn't it was just too weird.  Willow closed the book and picked up the other book opening it.  "This is so strange; the pictures in this book are of Spike every decade after he was turned.  Who could do these or what?" they were all wondering.  They didn't even notice that the sun had gone down.  "There's only one way to find out.  I think it's time to go look for our girl.  Why don't you guys go back to my house and" Buffy looked at each one of them. "Don't tell Spike what we've found."  

Buffy collected her things to go.  "I want to come with."  Xander was standing next to her ready to go.  "Ok I guess you can come, let's go by the house first and make sure every thing's cool there."  They turned out the lights and locked up the magic box.  Buffy carried Spike's coat and the bag.  They all got into Xander's car and started to head back to the house when Buffy spotted something out of the corner of her eye.  "Stop the car."  Buffy got out flowed by the others and they headed down a side street just in time to see the big unglys head off with the girl. "Isn't this just our lucky night." 

 It was eight thirty Dawn and Tara were feeding Spike again. He looked better now; stronger.  They were talking about playing some cards when Buffy and the rest of the gang came crashing through the front door. Tara and Dawn jumped "Bloody hell Slayer" Spike held his side.  Buffy and Xander where Dragging a girl in, she wasn't too eager to be there.  "Is this the girl?" Dawn and Tara backed up. The girl broke free of Xander's grip and tried to get away but Buffy held on tight. 

  The girl quit struggling for the most part knowing she was no match for Buffy.  Buffy took her into the living room not knowing what she was going to do with this kid, or why she was so upset.  The girl was like a trapped wild animal.  Buffy didn't want to hurt her she had gotten her away from the lonoses, and brought her back here.  The girl looked around looking for an escape.  "What's wrong with the kid?"  Spike asked from the couch.  "We don't really know." Anya answered "she hasn't actually said anything since we rescued her." In her wild struggle the girl caught sight of Spike, froze eyes wide. Spike eyes caught hers and her expression turned from surprise and fear to confusion. She turned to Buffy and the rest of the gang "Why don't you just give me back my stuff so I can go."  She looked at them very calmly waiting.  "Why don't you just be content and quit fighting us.  We saved you, would you just sit down a minuet."  Buffy wasn't happy with the way things were going. 

 "He that commends me to mine own content; commends me to the thing I cannot get."  She turn walked over to a chair and sat down.  "eer, what?" Spike looked at Xander "It's Shakespeare you git, I swear if you lot ever picked up a book I think your heads would explode."  Spike looked at the girl "do I know you from some where?"  "Earlier in the alley with the big demon things, umm… thanks for the help."  Spike looked at her sideways not quite sure why "um, yeah anytime."  

The Scoobies filed into the kitchen and were talking in hushed voices.  Willow showed Tara the drawings of Spike "my favorite is the one of him in the seventies, with his hair all spiked.  It's appropriate you know."  Buffy went into general mode "Ok so here's what we've got,  three nasty but rather lazy lonoses demons,   a girl who happens to be more then what meets the eye, who wants to be anywhere but here.  What we're doing now is trying to figure out why the demons are after her, who she is, and why she's so interested in Spike." 

Spike was feeling a little better.  He still hurt but it was time to get out of here, he really wanted a smoke, a drink, something.  So he got up off the couch. He'd seen she'd got his duster; she had it in the kitchen so he limped slowly out into the kitchen. 

  "Can I have my Duster now, luv?" everyone in the kitchen got quiet.  "Where do you think you're going?" Buffy put a hand on his duster that she'd laid over a chair.  He lean against the door frame "out for a smoke, I'm ready to be getting back to my crypt now."  He started in to get the coat and noticed Willow stepped away from him; pushing the book she was holding open close to her chest so he wouldn't see.  "What have you got there Red?" she faltered unsure of what to say "Nothing just a book" he sensed something was up he could smell it on them, they were hiding something.  "Let's see it then." he took the book from her hands, she squeaked out a protest but it was too late.  He flipped through the pages of the newer of the two books "looks like some ones been watching me.  Does this belong to her?"  He tilted his head in the direction of the living room.  "Yes" Buffy looked at him "do you know her have you ever seen her before this morning?"  Spike shook his head "is she a demon?"  "Not as far as we can tell."  Buffy picked up the other book and handed it to him "you might as well see this one too."  He opened the book.  The Scoobies saw rage flash in his eyes.  "Why are we all in here when she's out there?" he asked turning around and heading back into the living room the rest of them followed him.

    He stood in front of her "who the hell are you kid?" she looked up at him "nobody, can I leave now?"  "You aren't leaving till I find out what I want I need to know."  He searched her face looking for something.  Suddenly she stood up throwing him off balance, he wasn't expecting that.  He fell back on to the floor at a bad angle pain shoot throw his body. "What do you want to know?  What I'm doing here?  I'm doing what I do ever few years or so, I'm checking up on you Spike."  She caught the look on his face.  "Look a little closer Spike don't you recognize me?"  She was stepping closer to him now, Buffy wanted to do something but couldn't seem to move and the others could only stand back and watch amazed.  "I know you better then you know yourself, and you can't even recognize my face.  I could be anyone.  A ghost of someone you've killed, a demon sent by an enemy, I could be your worst nightmare brought to life and you wouldn't know me.  I've watched you for decades."  Spikes eyebrows furrowed in confusion and fear.  The girl stalked menacingly closer to the crippled vamp.  "You don't remember do you?  That's ok I'd never expect you to. .. Boo _Billy!"_

Spike watched then as the girl's eyes rolled back and her hands pressed her temples.  Then the strangest thing came from her mouth, she shouted "Bloody hell" and fell to her knees down beside Spike.  Finally Buffy and the others could move again.  Buffy helped Spike up onto the couch, noticing that he was shaking.  Then she grabbed the girl up off the floor and dragged her into the kitchen and directed her to a chair. 

 "Out with it, who are and what do you want with Spike?"  The girl looked up at Buffy.  "Why do you even care about him, what is he even doing here.  You are aware that he's a vampire, or did you some how get hit over the head and forget about those Sayer?"  Now Buffy was royally ticked this girl was making trouble and it was not making Buffy happy.

   "I don't see how that is any of your business.   Why should I tell you? I don't know who you are or what your motives are.  Are you a demon?  Are you some ghostly sprit thingy brought by some talisman to reek havoc on Spike?"  The girl glared at Buffy, and looked around the Kitchen at the others who had gathered.  The girl finally looked back at Buffy "I didn't come here to hurt him." And again with the glaring "that's your job you're suppose to kill vampires, why haven't you killed him he's evil?" there was a lilt in the girls voice something emotional was there; now Buffy was confused what was up with this girl "It's not that simple, he can't defined himself anymore."  The girl just sat there quiet, looking thoughtful.  "He is still a thing of evil, _still_ _soulless, still the killer of thousands."_

  What was Buffy suppose to say to that, she'd rehearsed her reasons so many times before,  defended her choices so often "I'm not in the habit of killing things that can't defend themselves and besides he's done a lot of good,  he saved you the other night, didn't he?"  Yeah score one for Buffy.  "Okay I'm going to ask this one last time who are you?"  The girl lowered her head "No one."  Then the girl looked up. Everyone in the Kitchen jumped

Her feature's, oh my God her face they've changed.  What the hell.  Now she looked like…like…the girl in the pictures.   "Whoa" Buffy was a little taken aback.  Her eyes were wide. "What are you?"  "I'm not a demon, really.  Or a witch.  I am a lonely soul."  She spoke now with a very Gilesish accent. An annoyingly cryptic Giles like accent.  "That's really nice, now what do you want with Spike."  The girl picked the old book off the table; she flipped throw the pages.  "I don't want anything to do with Spike" she paused set the book down and picked up the newer one.  "It's William I'm looking for."

Spike had gotten up now and was headed back to the Kitchen.  He didn't want to be left out; the girl had it in for him didn't she.  He needed to know what she was.

  Spike limped into the Kitchen but he didn't make it very far.  What he saw made him stagger back.  All eyes were on him.  "No" he choked out.  He sank to his knees.  Buffy came to his side she picked him up.  "You're dead…dead."  He looked the girl up and down as she stood up.  "You're not her…she's gone.  What evil are you?" Buffy helped Spike up and the girl came face to face with the vampire.  She looked into his eyes studying him as he studied her. 

 "I've never been so close to you, I've watched you for a hundred years but I've never…" she reacted out and touched Spike's hand. Instantly they both pulled back.  Spike let out a strangled sob. "Cold" she said matter of fact.  His eyes pleaded with hers.  "You're still William aren't you? That's why he's never come back to me.  Are you William? Oh God."  With that the girl turned and ran escaping the house.  Every one left in the Kitchen was now totally confused save one vampire who now understood.  

They all sat around the kitchen trying to piece together what had happened.  "Ok so here's what's happened so far…" Buffy is trying to recap on the days events. "I'm on patrol and find three lonoses demons beating Spike and chasing a girl.  The Demons run away and so does the girl.  I get Spike home then go back out to check out the alley.  I find the girls bag which have books with pictures of not only Spike but human Spike.  Then coming back from the Magic Box we find the lonoses going after the girl again.  We save her and bring her here.  She goes kind of wiggy and like changes face then Spike gets kind of wiggy."  All the scoobies nod their heads in agreement and them all eyes turn to Spike who's been sitting uncharacteristically quiet sense the girl ran out.  "So care to shed any insight on this oh bleached one." Xander quirked. 

Spike looked at the scoobies and sighed.  "My sister she… well she was my sister."  "So she's the girl in the pictures?" Willow held up the older sketch book "no that's my older sister Victoria the one that was here was my sister Alice; my twin.  She's the one that did the drawings in that book."  "Whoa ok now I'm confused.  You say that was your sister. How is it that she's here?  Is she some kind of shape shifting demon?  And why has she been following you and drawing your picture?  Did you kill her?  Is she mad at you?  Why did she say she was looking for William and then ask if you were William?"  Xander defiantly looked confused "you got some "splaning" to do buddy."  

 Spike got what could have been described as a guilty look on his face "I can try to explain it but I'm not sure I can make you understand. It's so crazy.  Man this is going to be hard just bare with me."  He looked at all the scoobies and settled on Buffy.  "Do you know your Greek mythology?" the scoobies nodded. 

 "Willow and I took a class" Tara spoke up.  "Then you know about Zeus and the other gods. "  Spike stated and then shook his head to himself. 

 "Blood hell I can't believe I'm going to tell you this.  Ok back a very long time ago before written language and history people made up stories to explain things that happening around them.   So these people told stories about gods.  These stories, these gods did originate from some where namely a group of people.  

These people weren't gods but they were close some of them had lots of power that they got mostly from witch craft.  They weren't humans, they were immortal.  When the world was young they mingled with humans and even in some cases they were their leaders.  After centuries of this the immortals decided to leave the human world for various reasons.  They went to various dementions some became gods in those dementions.  While some got home sick for this world. 

 Those that did made a bargain with the powers to return to this world.  Those that returned would forever work for the powers they would be born human and die and as all humans do they would live and die according to the Power's plan.  The difference was after death the immortal's soul wouldn't be sent to another demention they would be reborn straight away.  So they are forever reborn and they always have a veg recollections of what they are. 

 This knowledge they might know for the moment of birth other times the information comes in a dream.  But they are forever used as tools of the powers though they never know what life they will be put to use in."  Spike finished his speech and the scoobies looked perplexed. 

 "And this information helps us how?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.  Willow shushed her

 "Buffy I think Spike is trying to tell us something." Tara held Willow's hand both of the witches were wide eyed 

"Spike how many of the immortals returned here?"

  "Only two that I know of." Spike's eyes had glazed over Willow and Tara recognized that he'd gone into a trance.  

"Which two Spike?" Willow probed.  "You would know them as Artemis and Apollo."  Willow nodded her head "Twins" she informed the group.  "Spike?"  Something in Tara's mind made a few connections 

"How did the Powers made Artemis and Apollo human?" 

 "That's a story that's been trying to hide for years luv…but you probably already know it.  Have either of you witches heard the legend of Merlin's Children?"  Willow nodded her head

 "yes it's not commonly told it isn't in any books it's just been orally pasted down.  Merlin's love didn't love him.  So he went to the Powers and asked them to give him a child.  They agreed and gave him a list of things to get which included a robin's egg and locks of his and her hair. He went back to the powers and they gave him a child." 

 "Yes he did have to bring those things to the Powers what's probably been misinterpreted is that the child wasn't given to him to then and there.  The Powers took the egg and the hair and made it into a potion they told Merlin to have his mare drink the liquid and in nine months the horse would give birth to his and his love's child.  So nine months later the mare gave birth but instead of one child the mare had twins.  It turns out that the robin's egg had two yokes; these twins where the human forms of Artemis and Apollo." 

 "My goddess.  Spike who were Artemis and Apollo in their last lives?"  

"I don't know who Artemis is… but I imagine she was the girl Buffy and Xander dragged in here tonight.  And Apollo that's easy in his last life he was William."  

There was a collective gasp in the room.  Then Spike's heavy eye leads closed and his head fell.  Buffy caught him "What the hell?"  Dawn gasped "yeah I know he didn't tell me he had a twin."  Willow and Tara's minds were racing through all the things that this new information meant.  Spike was the embodiment of Apollo? 

"We should let get Spike back to the couch and let him rest" Tara suggested.   "Yeah" Buffy looked perplexed but picked the limp Spike up and moved him into the living room with the help of Xander.  "Well I certainly never would have guessed that." Willow stood with Tara in the kitchen "Yeah I know weird."     

Spike slept on the couch and the others milled around still confused wondering what they should do next.  Then there was a knock at the door.  Willow went and answered it.  The girl stood there "hi Alice or would you rather be called Artemis?"

 "He told you I figured he would eventually.  In this life my name is Liddy but I am always Artmes."  She walked in the house and over to a sleeping Spike.

  "I've waited so long for this beast that infected my brother to die so that I could have him back that I never gave thought that this creature was my brother on some hero's journey."  

 She turned from Spike to the rest of the Scoobies "I would ask that you do not discuss what has happened here with him he will not remember and in time neither will you."  

"What about Spike and you?" Dawn asked. "I found what I was looking for.  I found William. Now I have to go. Soon I wouldn't remember either.  May I have my things back?"

  "Yes of course." Tara got her bag and books.  "What about the lonoses?" 

 "I don't worry about them they've been after the immortals for millennia and they haven't succeeded yet. That's why most of us left. In some life times we fight them in Some we avoid them and in others we just keep running."  Liddy through her bag over her shoulder and turned back to Spike.   Bending down to the couch she whispered something in his ear, kissed his forehead and with out a glance back at anyone she was out the door and gone.  

An hour latter Dawn sat watching TV in the living room when Spike woke up.  Dawn turned the TV off and went over and sat beside Spike.  "So you have any good dreams while you were out?"  Spike looked confused for a second "I did…I dreamed about my sister?" Dawn leaned forward "you never told me you had a sister; tell me about her." 

 "Well I had an older brother Harry, an older sister Victoria, and a younger sister Elisabeth.  But the one in my dream was my twin sister Alice."  Buffy came in from the Kitchen she had been listen to the conversation see started to open her mouth.  "Stop Luv, I know what you're going to ask and no I didn't kill Alice I didn't kill any of my family but I especial didn't kill Alice she had already died by the time I died."

  "Oh that's so sad.  How did she die?" Dawn inquired.  "When we were children we visited my uncle's farm for Christmas, Alice and I were playing in the snow and we got lost in the woods.  We were there all night.  When they found us the next day we were huddled together snow covering us.  They got us back to the house and the fever set in.  We were both sick for a long time and we weren't suppose to make it but we both did.  I lost the hearing in my left ear and weakness plagued Alice the rest of her life.

  She got very sick when we were nineteen and she was just too weak to fight the illness she died late December 1879. I was turned a year later."  Buffy thought of the last picture in the sketch book it must have been drawn from Alice's death bed.  No wonder Spike got so mad at the thought of his sister's book it the hands of someone else.  Buffy tried to put the sobering thought out of her mind.  "I wasn't going to ask if you killed her.  I was going to ask you if she was pretty."  Spike was silent for a moment.  "Alice wasn't pretty…she was as beautiful as a Greek goddess."   


End file.
